Neck pain and headaches?

sint55

Anyone experiences headache and mild neck pain/tenderness 4 years after NCP radiation?

 

I'be been heaving mild headaches, more noticeable on the right side of my scalp but also on the left and at very top of my scalp. I'm bald so i joke about my scalp feeling cold when I get sick.  but I have been noticing this for the past few months now. I feel it mostly when I wake up but then it usually goes away by itself. It's not severe or anything.  I've been attributing this to sleep disturbance. it certainly gets worse with infections 

And I also noticed like the right side of my neck (where the lymph nodes are) hurt a little too. It's the same location where I had the biggest of my swollen nodes back when I had the cancer, so that got me a bit worried when I started to connect the dots. when I press on on my left side I notice I have similar feeling (tender or pain) around the same area but to a lessor degree. I had a huge tumor and extensive nodal involvement so my radiation dose was high so Im hoping it's radiation.

 

Not sure if I'm psyching myself out. I have a appointment with the ENT specialist next week so I'll mention that.

Anyone ever experiences new symptoms like these even years after radiation?

 
And to complicate the picture, I've had COVID twice recently (one in July and another last week) so I've had all the headaches, phlegm, postnasal drip, cough, funny throat and tender nodes. They all came down and are coming down once again. 

wbcgaruss

Hello sint55 And

Welcome to the forum.
Unless I am missing it I don't see anywhere in your post when you completed treatments.
Just wondering.
But I would say since you are seeing the ENT next week definitely run all this by him.
And if you haven't had any recent  CT scans with dye of the H&N area it would probably be a good idea to get one to be safe.
Get your ENT's opinion as he is familiar with your case and treatment but when it comes to cancer always err on the side of safety.
Wishing You The Best-Take Care-God Bless-Russ

sint55

wbcgaruss said:

Hello sint55 And

Welcome to the forum.
Unless I am missing it I don't see anywhere in your post when you completed treatments.
Just wondering.
But I would say since you are seeing the ENT next week definitely run all this by him.
And if you haven't had any recent  CT scans with dye of the H&N area it would probably be a good idea to get one to be safe.
Get your ENT's opinion as he is familiar with your case and treatment but when it comes to cancer always err on the side of safety.
Wishing You The Best-Take Care-God Bless-Russ

Definitely will let ENT know

That's for sure. I haven't had scans for a while. They did a scope a few months ago and they said everything looked fine. 
but I'm due for scans soon anyways. 

I had two different cycles of chemo (I no longer remember the drugs but I know cisplantin was one and 5FU was used in the other cycle). Plus high dose radiation to the head and both sides of the neck but mainly to the right lo side where they found the biggest lymph node. 

When I feel headache it's after I wake up and it subsides on its own without having to take painkillers. I never really thought much of it but when I got sick last time and my headache AND neck were hurting badly that brought the symptoms to my attention.

 

sint55

wbcgaruss said:

Hello sint55 And

Welcome to the forum.
Unless I am missing it I don't see anywhere in your post when you completed treatments.
Just wondering.
But I would say since you are seeing the ENT next week definitely run all this by him.
And if you haven't had any recent  CT scans with dye of the H&N area it would probably be a good idea to get one to be safe.
Get your ENT's opinion as he is familiar with your case and treatment but when it comes to cancer always err on the side of safety.
Wishing You The Best-Take Care-God Bless-Russ

I just read your bio

It sounds like that's a symptom you had before a recurrence? Stiff neck, right?

Man that makes me nervous. 

How have you been doing ever since your third cancer was found?

 

if you don't mind me asking, you only felt the pain/stiffness on one side? 

wbcgaruss

sint55 said:

I just read your bio

It sounds like that's a symptom you had before a recurrence? Stiff neck, right?

Man that makes me nervous. 

How have you been doing ever since your third cancer was found?

 

if you don't mind me asking, you only felt the pain/stiffness on one side? 

Well Actually None

Of the following cancers after my first one is considered a recurrence.
The tongue cancer was almost 5 years out.
The lymph node cancer was over a year later close to a year and a half.
But they concluded each one was its own cancer?
I don't know.
I had some neck stiffness from previous radiation but that is not what prompted me to see my ENT.
My neck had gotten sore on the left side.
My neck started to get a bit stiff in the years following my radiation as you may have heard radiation causes "radiation fibrosis".
Then the surgery to remove the cancerous lymph node damaged more areas as they had to take some tissue and muscle out.
Because the cancer was not encapsulated in the one lymph node and had started spreading.
I believe it did add to my neck stiffness a bit and I cannot lift my left arm up anymore but about 1/2 way.
What I had as far as symptoms in my third cancer was my neck was sore on the left side.
I can't remember if it was just a small area or spread out but it was sore.
So I did not wait long and got in to see my ENT and he scoped me and felt around my neck and the irritated area and said he really didn't think
there was anything going on but he said let's get a CAT Scan with dye of the head & neck area just to be on the safe side.
I got the scan and he called probably the next day or maybe the same day with the news, cancer.
Then set me up for a biopsy to verify for sure cancer and what type.
Then it went on from there and I got surgery.
Sorry if I am not giving good details on my Bio.

I think generally some docs will have you get a CT or PET scan at 3 or 6 months.
But just to give you an idea of regular intervals of scanning say you would get a CAT Scan with dye 3 months post-treatment.
Then around 6 months, they would have you get a PET scan.
Then sort of up to your doc but say a CAT scan every 6 months till the 2-year mark and then another PET scan.
Then after that, I think it would be up to your doc and how he feels about your case whether you would continue the 6 month CAT scan
or maybe go to once a year unless you notice something that doesn't feel right to you.

OK, so whatever you do don't assume it's cancer.
Remember it's not cancer till they say it's cancer.
But I have found that it is best to get a scan if there is any question that will tell whether anything nefarious is going on.
So I would urge your doc for a scan since you didn't have one recently and a scan will show if there is any cancer, and it can be under the skin or in a node.
And the only way to see it is with a scan.
I am not trying to alarm you but since you had cancer once don't be nonchalant about this just make sure all bases are covered and be sure of the reason for your discomfort.
Your Ent can take all this into account your past cancer and treatment, and your recent Covid exposure and your headaches, phlegm, postnasal drip, cough, funny throat and tender nodes and hopefully come up with an answer.
Boy, you are having bad luck with the Covid, now hit twice with it-bummer.

It could be since you had covid there is something going on there and you say you are having headaches, phlegm, postnasal drip, cough, funny throat, and tender nodes.
It could be multiple things besides cancer.
You could have a nasal infection or some other problem and it could be swelled and that creates pressure and radiates around the area and I think sinuses take up a pretty big area.
So keep an open mind, stay calm, and don't dwell on it.
A visit to your ENT with an examination, a scope job, and scans should give you the answers you need to determine what these little pains are.

Wishing You The Best-Take Care-God Bless-Russ

 

 

 

 

 

sint55

wbcgaruss said:

Well Actually None

Of the following cancers after my first one is considered a recurrence.
The tongue cancer was almost 5 years out.
The lymph node cancer was over a year later close to a year and a half.
But they concluded each one was its own cancer?
I don't know.
I had some neck stiffness from previous radiation but that is not what prompted me to see my ENT.
My neck had gotten sore on the left side.
My neck started to get a bit stiff in the years following my radiation as you may have heard radiation causes "radiation fibrosis".
Then the surgery to remove the cancerous lymph node damaged more areas as they had to take some tissue and muscle out.
Because the cancer was not encapsulated in the one lymph node and had started spreading.
I believe it did add to my neck stiffness a bit and I cannot lift my left arm up anymore but about 1/2 way.
What I had as far as symptoms in my third cancer was my neck was sore on the left side.
I can't remember if it was just a small area or spread out but it was sore.
So I did not wait long and got in to see my ENT and he scoped me and felt around my neck and the irritated area and said he really didn't think
there was anything going on but he said let's get a CAT Scan with dye of the head & neck area just to be on the safe side.
I got the scan and he called probably the next day or maybe the same day with the news, cancer.
Then set me up for a biopsy to verify for sure cancer and what type.
Then it went on from there and I got surgery.
Sorry if I am not giving good details on my Bio.

I think generally some docs will have you get a CT or PET scan at 3 or 6 months.
But just to give you an idea of regular intervals of scanning say you would get a CAT Scan with dye 3 months post-treatment.
Then around 6 months, they would have you get a PET scan.
Then sort of up to your doc but say a CAT scan every 6 months till the 2-year mark and then another PET scan.
Then after that, I think it would be up to your doc and how he feels about your case whether you would continue the 6 month CAT scan
or maybe go to once a year unless you notice something that doesn't feel right to you.

OK, so whatever you do don't assume it's cancer.
Remember it's not cancer till they say it's cancer.
But I have found that it is best to get a scan if there is any question that will tell whether anything nefarious is going on.
So I would urge your doc for a scan since you didn't have one recently and a scan will show if there is any cancer, and it can be under the skin or in a node.
And the only way to see it is with a scan.
I am not trying to alarm you but since you had cancer once don't be nonchalant about this just make sure all bases are covered and be sure of the reason for your discomfort.
Your Ent can take all this into account your past cancer and treatment, and your recent Covid exposure and your headaches, phlegm, postnasal drip, cough, funny throat and tender nodes and hopefully come up with an answer.
Boy, you are having bad luck with the Covid, now hit twice with it-bummer.

It could be since you had covid there is something going on there and you say you are having headaches, phlegm, postnasal drip, cough, funny throat, and tender nodes.
It could be multiple things besides cancer.
You could have a nasal infection or some other problem and it could be swelled and that creates pressure and radiates around the area and I think sinuses take up a pretty big area.
So keep an open mind, stay calm, and don't dwell on it.
A visit to your ENT with an examination, a scope job, and scans should give you the answers you need to determine what these little pains are.

Wishing You The Best-Take Care-God Bless-Russ

 

 

 

 

 

You certainly have been through a lot

On a good note. you beat that thing three times! It's odd that these cancers are not related!

And no there's no playing with that symptome trust me. I'm seeing my ENT soon.

Hoping for my neck pain to be unrelated. I googled that symptoms and I couldn't find much about it but there's barely anything about head and neck cancers as they're rare.

It could be postcovid effects. I sitll feel congesed all around that area in my neck (both sides) since I had been infected.

.

But I'm not taking chances. Wish me luck 

LitlCJdoll

sint55 said:

You certainly have been through a lot

On a good note. you beat that thing three times! It's odd that these cancers are not related!

And no there's no playing with that symptome trust me. I'm seeing my ENT soon.

Hoping for my neck pain to be unrelated. I googled that symptoms and I couldn't find much about it but there's barely anything about head and neck cancers as they're rare.

It could be postcovid effects. I sitll feel congesed all around that area in my neck (both sides) since I had been infected.

.

But I'm not taking chances. Wish me luck 

It sounds more like infection related

To me, it sounds more COVID /infection related. Not malignancy related.  I have heard that the virus can cause lingering issues afterward. Good luck in getting it checked out.

Crystal